Negotiable paper and means for preventing counterfeiting thereof



(No Model) F. L. DIETZ.

NEGOTIABLE PAPER AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING GOUNTBRFEITING THEREOF.

No. 583,359. Patented May 25, 1-897.

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UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

FREDERIO L. DIETZ, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,359, dated May 25,1897.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIO L. DIETZ, of Portland, in the county ofMultnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Negotiable Paper and Means for Preventing CounterfeitingThereof, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to negotiable paper, such as bank-checks, notes,county warrants, and other documents representing value, and the objectis to provide means whereby the parties interested are protected fromfraud ulent issue or payment.

- I will describe a device embodying my invention and then point out thenovel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective plan View of a bank-check book embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 shows a combination-tally sheet employed, and Fig. 3is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

I have shown my invention as applied to bank-checks, and as when so usedthe construction of the book of blanks is important to my invention, Iwill first describe its construction.

The check-book comprises a number of checks A and a corresponding numberof stubs A, the whole package being suitably bound together. As hereshown, there is a line of perforations a extended longitudinally betweeneach check and its stub and a line of perforations 0 extended along thebound end of the check and stub. The perforations a are made quite long,or with very little space of paperbetween perforations, so that a checkmay be torn from its stub without danger of tearing into theidentification-marks of the check, to be hereinafter described. Rivetsor clips a are passed through the several stubs, and their upset ends atthe back of the stubs are covered by a fabric a pasted in place, so thatthe clips or rivets cannot be easily removed for the purpose offraudulently extracting a check and stub from the body of the package orbook. The ends of Application filed February 8, 1896. Serial No.577,905. (No model.)

the checks and stubs outside the perforations a are bound together by afabric a.

I will now describe the identification system devised by me, whichcomprises certain marks or characters on the checks and a tallysheethaving corresponding marks or characters to be retained by the bankissuing the check-books. It may be here stated that it is immaterial tomy invention whether the identification-marks be formed by printing,perforating, or otherwise.

Each check-book in the possession of a bank has rem ovably affixed to ita tally-sheet B,having consecutively-numbered combinationcharacterscorresponding to the numbers and characters of the checks in a book. Fori11- stance, the identification-mark of the first check in a book willbe 1-FL, the second 2Boy, and so on to the last, each check, of course,having a mark differing from any of the others. The tally-sheet B willbe correspondingly marked. In Fig. 1 the mark I? is shown as cut throughthe paper of the check and surrounded by a perforated border Z2, and thecorresponding character b is printed on the combination tally or tallysheet B. As a further safeguard, the characters may be out through thetally-sheet, as at b in Fig. 2, these characters being identical inshape and size to those on the checks, so that a payingteller may makecomparison by placing one upon the other.

In the drawings I have shown a border made by perforations which inclosethe identification-mark, but this border may also be made by printing orotherwise, and I do not confine myself to a border of any-particulardesign, the main object being to make it so complicated as to preventsuccessful counterfeiting.

In connection with myinvention I may employ a combination-tally holder,so that a number of tally-sheets may be arranged in perfect order andthus rendered easy of reference.

The operation of the device is as follows: John A. Snow deposits a sumof money in a bank subject to check. The bank officer will give the booka number, say 202, which he will write on the combination-tally,together with the name of the depositor. He also writes this number,202, on the stub of check No. 1. The combination-tally will be separatedfrom the book and retained by the bank, and the book will be given tothe depositor, who will at the same time be privately informed as to theserial number of his book, as it will be Written on the stub of thefirst check. Mr. Snow draws check No. 1 and in doing so writes thefigures 202 on the check, so as to show the bank officer that he mustrefer to tallysheet No. 202 for comparison. This check is presented atthe bank, and the teller will compare the identificationmark on thecheck with that opposite the corresponding number on the correspondingtally-sheet numbered 202, and if the marks are the same he may safelyassume that the check was drawn by Mr. Snow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A bank-check book comprising a number of checksand stubs extending longitudinally of the checks, the checks and stubsbeing bound together and havin g a line of per forations between them,each check being provided with identification-symbols, and a tallysheetremovably secured to the book and having identificationsymbolscorresponding to those of the checks, the book and tally-sheet bearingthe same serial number, substantially as described.

2. A bank-check book comprising a number of checks and stubs extendinglongitudinally of the checks, the checks and stubs being bound togetherat one edge and also a one end and having a line of perforations between them and a line of perforations extending across the end of thecheck and stub at the bound end thereof, each check being provided withidentification-symbols, and a tallysheet removably secured to the insideof the book and having identificationsymbols corresponding to those ofthe checks, the book and tally-sheet having a correspondingnumber,substantially as described.

FREDERIC L. DIE'IVZ.

\Vitnesses:

LEoPoLn Drn'rz, WM. C. DIETZ.

